Margaret Thatcher dies: Some pay tribute while others party in the streets

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FLAGS were lowered to half-mast at Britain's parliament to mark the death of Margaret Thatcher, and flowers piled up at her London home - but at the other end of the political spectrum, left-wingers joyfully partied to celebrate her departure.

Hundreds of people have taken to the main square in Brixton, an area of south London which suffered serious rioting in the 1980s, to celebrate Mrs Thatcher's death.

Thatcher, the controversial "Iron Lady" who dominated a generation of British politics and won international acclaim for helping to end the Cold War, died following a stroke on Monday aged 87.

In Brixton, holding notices saying "Rejoice - Thatcher is dead", about 200 people gathered in the neighbourhood, a hotspot of alternative culture, and toasted her passing by drinking and dancing to hip-hop and reggae songs blaring from sound systems.

"I'm very, very pleased. She did so much damage to this country," said one man brandishing an original newspaper billboard from 1990 announcing Thatcher's resignation.

Others scrawled "Good Riddance" on the pavement.

"We've got the bunting out at home," said Clare Truscott, a woman in her 50s wearing a sparkly beret and holding a homemade sign reading "Ding dong, the witch is dead".

"I'm from the north, where there were no jobs, where the industry was rapidly disappearing, and her policies ensured it went more quickly."

But on the streets of London's financial district - whose power was fuelled by Thatcher's deregulation of the financial sector - many passers-by reacted with dismay to the passing of the former Conservative premier.

"It's a shame, a crying shame. She's a good woman,'' said Alan Whiteford, a law firm employee.

"It's a sad day,'' added banker Nick Daking.

Brixton was the scene of fierce riots in 1981, two years after Thatcher became prime minister.

Thatcher death party BrixtonSource:Getty Images

Carole Roper, a full-time carer in her 50s from north London, said: "We're here to celebrate her death."

Sipping from a can of beer, she insisted: "I don't think it's vindictive. It's not so much about the death of Thatcher but what she has done, the policies she introduced to this country.

"Compare the coverage to that when Chavez died - she's being eulogised. It's been wall to wall coverage on the BBC, but she did nothing to help the poor people of this country."

Meanwhile, in the Scottish city of Glasgow more than 300 people gathered to hold their own impromptu "party".

The crowd also broke into a chorus of "So long, the witch is dead" while drinking champagne.

Britain Thatcher Funeral flag half mastSource:AP

Earlier, London's former Mayor Ken Livingstone told Sky News that everything that is wrong with modern Britain can be traced back to Margaret Thatcher's policies.

The former Labour MP and ex-mayor of London, labelled "Red Ken" by the British press for his outspoken left-wing views, said the financial crisis, the collapse of Britain’s manufacturing industry and widespread unemployment were all directly linked to Thatcher’s economic reforms in the 1980s.

Mr Livingstone was Labour leader of the London Council when Thatcher’s government abolished it, putting him out of a job, before he went on to become mayor.

"The trouble is that almost everything that’s wrong with Britain today is her legacy," Mr Livingstone said, after first praising Thatcher’s determined nature, strong beliefs and shunning of spin and focus groups.

"She created today’s housing crisis, she created the banking crisis, and she created the benefits crisis. It was her government that started putting people on incapacity benefit rather than register as unemployed because the Britain she inherited was at broadly full employment.

Thatcher death partySource:Getty Images

"She decided when she wrote off our manufacturing industry, that she could live with two or three million unemployed, and the Benefits Bill, the legacy of that, we’re still struggling with today.

"In actual fact, every real problem we face today is the legacy of the fact she was fundamentally wrong."

The Sky News interview was cut short when Mr Livingstone began talking about Thatcher’s claim that ex-UK PM Tony Blair’s "New Labour" was her biggest achievement, with some speculating on Twitter that he had been cut off before he could continue his criticism.

Australian human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson said it is wrong to eulogise Thatcher as a conviction politician because her beliefs have since proven to be "half-baked".

Instead, the London-based barrister, who lived through the Thatcher era, says her real legacy is that she was Britain's first female prime minister.

"In retrospect the greatest thing about her was that she was a woman," Mr Robertson said, saying her political beliefs had proven to be "half-baked and hand-rammed".

Thatcher mourner flowersSource:Getty Images

"The lady is not for turning will be remembered for the fact she was a lady and not the fact she was a conviction politician."

She believed letting the market rip could produce happiness for all, he said.

"And it hasn't. Her idea of light-touch regulation led to the banking crisis and so many other crises."

The Australian lawyer said the 1980s were a period of "unalloyed greed" and Lady Thatcher had been incapable of empathising with the poor and disadvantaged.

At Thatcher's former home in central London, a pile of flowers was growing on the doorstep.

"The greatest British leader and a true lady,'' one card read. "You make Britain what it is.''

Thatcher death partiesSource:Getty Images

But in the edgy south London neighbourhood of Brixton, sworn enemies of the former Iron Lady were planning a huge street party for Monday evening - with more than 600 people listed as attending on Facebook.

Coal miners were among Thatcher's bitterest foes during her 1979-90 premiership - and for one senior mining official marking his birthday on Monday, her death was the icing on the cake.

"I'm having a drink to it right now,'' David Hopper, regional secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in northeast England, said with unabashed glee.

"It's a marvellous day. I'm absolutely delighted. It's my 70th birthday today and it's one of the best I've had in my life.''

Others on the left also hailed Thatcher's departure as a cause for celebration.

"We'll be glad to see the back of her,'' said Judith Orr, editor of the far-left Socialist Worker weekly newspaper.

Thatcher death front pagesSource:News Limited

"She ruined the lives of tens of millions of working class people in Britain.

"And she rejoiced in war. She was the one who said we should rejoice in the sinking of the Belgrano, in the deaths of hundreds of young Argentine conscripts.

"That was one of her most disgusting moments, but there is a long list of crimes.''

Rights activist Peter Tatchell described the former Iron Lady as "extraordinary but heartless'', saying she had presided over the decimation of Britain's manufacturing base and introduced "Britain's first new anti-gay law in 100 years'', Section 28.

Yet he conceded that as Britain's first and still only woman prime minister, she had achieved something significant.

"To her credit, she shattered the sexist glass ceiling in politics and got to the top in a man's world.''

Ken LivingstoneSource:AP

A single daffodil was placed at feet of a statue of Thatcher outside the chamber of the House of Commons, or lower house of parliament, with a card saying: 'You were an inspiration to women'.

Online reaction to Thatcher's death was just as mixed.

Rupert Murdoch, CEO of News Corp, publisher of this website, tweeted:

Margaret Thatcher: symbol of liberty and strength. Changed Britain and the world for the better.May she rest in peace.

"A great lady,'' wrote technology tycoon Alan Sugar. "She changed the face of British politics, created opportunity for anyone to succeed in the UK. RIP.''

Even One Direction singer Harry Styles paid tribute, tweeting "RIP Baroness Thatcher'' - but the boy band singer's message left many young fans, born after her era, confused as to who he was talking about.

Others did not hold back in condemning Thatcher, just hours after her death.

"May she burn in the hellfires,'' tweeted left-wing firebrand lawmaker George Galloway.

"I wish there was a Margaret Thatcher statue in Glasgow,'' posted Scottish comedian Robert Florence.

"I'd like to be seen on the news toppling it and hitting it with my shoes.''

Margaret Thatcher tribute flowersSource:Getty Images

Many of those celebrating her passing marked their tweets with the hashtag #nowthatchersdead - causing panic among fans of the US singer Cher, as some took this to read: "Now that Cher's dead''.

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